The Daily Nole

Florida State Tames Pittsburgh Panthers, 88-75

Clint Eiland/The Daily Nole

The Florida State Seminoles (19-8, 8-7 ACC) notched another conference win under their belt with an 88-75 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-20, 0-15 ACC) on Sunday night.

It wasn’t pretty, but FSU pulled out a much-needed victory. The Seminoles will be in action again next Sunday at North Carolina State.

Observations

  • Both Braian Angola and Terance Mann were taken out of the starting lineup after a rough streak of games. P.J. Savoy tried his best to replicate their previous results, as he hit two 3-pointers to begin the game.
  • Florida State immediately went to a soft full court press. The Seminoles would stay close with their man the whole way up the court, but they didn’t really pressure them into mistakes.
  • The Seminoles didn’t seem to learn much from last week’s first half performance against Clemson. They had five bad turnovers after 10 minutes, effectively stunting the offense after their quick start.
  • They regained their momentum by attacking the rim. Pittsburgh did not have any inside presence capable of stopping athletes like Mfiondu Kabengele or M.J. Walker. FSU retook the lead over the next few minutes and maintained a small advantage.
  • Pittsburgh was hitting absurd shots from behind the arc. At half, they were 10-for-17 from 3-point range, despite being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the nation. Defenses can only do so much to slow down shooters, but Florida State shared some of the blame for not getting back in transition defense quick enough.
  • Florida State had more than enough opportunities for easy points. By the end of the half, they had attempted 23 free throws and made 16 of them. Compare that to just two free throws for Pittsburgh.
  • Savoy and M.J. Walker were the clear standouts on the wing. Their shooting and ball movement were key in helping Florida State start out well. Kabengele also deserves attention for his continued aggressiveness down low and the fact that Pittsburgh could not help but foul him.
  • Angola and Mann returned before the midway point of the second half. Mann’s presence was immediately felt on offense when he started making pretty incredible passes into the paint. They just seem to flow better as a team.
  • It was another contest where Florida State looked like the obviously better team, but for various reasons (fouls, pace) was unable to stretch the lead an appropriate amount. In expected fashion, Pittsburgh hung around and never let the Seminoles feel secure.
  • While no one should try to place too much blame on the officiating, it cannot be denied that they made a series of questionable calls in Pittsburgh’s favor that began swinging the momentum to the Panthers. Lowlights include a foul on Walker when the Pittsburgh player grabbed his jersey, and a no-call when another player took three steps on a layup.
  • The fouls were actually an interesting situation. Both teams started racking them up in the second half, leading to a very slow pace and disjointed game. Three players for the Panthers fouled out.
  • Phil Cofer once again came through after halftime. He scored all 14 of his points in the second half, much in the same fashion as the Clemson game with impressive mid-range shots and put-backs.
  • Pittsburgh hit just two 3-pointers in the second half, which explains its inability to gain any sort of offensive momentum down the stretch.
  • Florida State finished with a better shooting percentage (55 vs. 50) and nearly 40 free throw attempts.

Notable Numbers

P.J. Savoy (FSU): 18 points (5-for-7), 2 rebounds, 1 assists

M.J. Walker (FSU): 14 points (3-for-6), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Shamiel Stevenson (PITT): 17 points (6-for-7), 5 rebounds

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